activated representation of a given higher-priority goal initiates the mechanism of preventive control, manifested by the level of importance of the related goals. The increased importance of the higher-priority goal and a higher motivation to achieve it represent a preventive strategy against surrendering to temptations [37]. This relationship applies to individuals for whom a given goal is vitally important, who are highly involved in its realization, and who have already mastered effective methods of self-control. Such a relationship could be expected in individuals who have already undergone obesity treatment. In contrast, the lack of an implemented goal should inhibit the ability to overcome temptation (i.e., it should result in a lack of self-control). We formulated the following hypothesis based on a review of the subject literature: Hypotheses 1 (H1). The priming of fattening food in non-slimming obese individuals is associated with the decreased importance of the goal of losing weight in comparison to the increase in slimming obese participants.The study was comprised of 60 individuals with BMI 30 kg/m2: 32 women (age M = 59.36, SD = 3.63; BMI M = 34.5, SD = 3.08) and 28 men (age M = 58.25, SD = 2.43; BMI M = 35.4, SD = 3.15). All participants gave verbal consent to participate and the study was approved by the University of Warmia and Mazury Ethics Committee for Scientific Research, Olsztyn, Poland (ethical code number: 1/2017). The sample size of the experimental groups depended on the total number of elderly people in the obesity management clinic during the two-week weight-loss programs. All the selected participants agreed to participate in the study. Participants in this study were engaged in the experiment only once. The second study dealt with a completely different group of obese individuals. During the initial analyses, we considered age as an independent variable explaining all the other dependent variables. We found that age does not modulate any of the dependent variables, neither in interaction nor as a main effect ( non significant). We examined two gender-adjusted groups: (1) Thirty obese individuals (BMI 30 kg/m2) taking part in a slimming program in the Municipal Hospital in Olsztyn (Warminsko-Mazurskie Province), Poland. All subjects had been admitted to an obesity management clinic which organizes weight loss programs which teach patients to make healthy lifestyle choices with the assistance of an interdisciplinary team of experts, including a dietician, physician, psychologist, physiotherapists and physical education trainers. All participants of the study completed all the sessions during two-week weight loss program. Among others they participated in five group and individual meetings aimed at the development of better eating self-regulatory strategies. All patients received a 1200 calorie diet. At the end of a two-week stay, patients received an individual diet and physical activity program. (2) Thirty non-slimming obese individuals (BMI 30 kg/m2) from the Non-Public Health Centre in Butryny (Warminsko-Mazurskie Province in Poland), selected on the basis of their medical documentation.All participants were investigated by means of two statements, crucial for their cognitive relation to dietary behaviour, and important for the purpose of our study as they referred to slimming, namely:(1) Improvement of one’s silhouette; and (2) Losing excess weight. Participants from both groups assessed the importance of the two dietary goals: indicated in statements using a 7-item scale, from 1—It’s not important to me at all to 7—It’s of most importance for me (dependent variable). The presented above item 1 as well as item 2 served independently as simple scales [38], each time we got two separate results that is individual answer for item 1 and item 2. The mean of item 1 and item 2 were obtained for each group to be compared. Our participants completed above two statements twice-before and after manipulation. Two weeks after the first measurement, all our subjects underwent manipulation. They were exposed to fatting food priming.Competent referees selected six sets of images of fattening food. All participants were presented with tempting images of fattening food. Our subjects differed in terms of their involvement in the realization of losing weight, since there were both individuals from the experimental group participating in the “slimming” program, and controls who were not undertaking any effort to reduce their weight.Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 244 4 of 13Participants from both groups were examined individually. Initially, we kept our participants ignorant of the true objective of the study, informing them that they were to participate in an experiment determining the influence of cognitive processes on the performance of various tasks. Each participant was assigned a number during the repeated measurement of the dependent variables. The first task pertained to completing of two items: objective 1—Improvement of one’s silhouette; and objective 2—Losing excess weight by participants from both groups. The final part of the study took place after the end of the two-week weight-loss program in the obesity clinic. Both groups of participants were subjected to manipulation–the priming of fattening food, which according to our assumptions endangered the realization of the principal goal. The participants were presented with six sets of images of fattening food and they assessed their attractiveness and usefulness as an advertisement for a restaurant. They were asked to arrange the sets in decreasing order of attractiveness. After this exposure to fattening food stimuli, the participants performed the last task pertaining to the repeated completion of two items: objective 1—Improvement of one’s silhouette; and objective 2—Losing excess weight. After completing the experiment, the participants were told about the real aim of the study, thanked, and fully debriefed.The independent variables included gender and group: 2 group (slimming obese individuals vs. non-slimming obese subjects) 2 gender (females vs. males). Dependent variables were derived from the reproducible measurement of the motivation to realize weight loss goals. These were statements, chosen from the Goal Survey, which were considered important for the purposes of our study: The hypothesis was verified on the basis of an analysis of variance. First of all we provided repeated analysis of variance for repeated dependent measures (the importance of two crucial goals) to verify the